Apple Valley, MN Trash & Recycling: Collection Schedule (2026)

Section 50.03(A) of the Apple Valley Code of Ordinances requires every residential dwelling and commercial/industrial establishment in the city to be under a contract for the collection of garbage, refuse and recyclables with a licensed collector, with a July 1, 1992 date printed in the text. A multiple-dwelling, as defined in § 50.01, counts as under a collection contract if the owner, association or management entity has a contract with a licensed collector.

Self-hauling is the only exemption. Section 50.03(B) excuses a residence, multiple dwelling or business that hauls garbage, refuse and recyclables from its own property and disposes of them in an environmentally sound manner, provided it meets seven conditions. Waste must be hauled in a timely manner so it does not accumulate and become a nuisance, in containers with tight-fitting covers that are watertight on all sides and the bottom, and in a way that prevents leakage or loss of cargo. Garbage and refuse go only to a designated sanitary landfill, municipal solid waste composting facility, resource recovery facility or other authorized facility. Recyclables go only to a recycling facility, an organized recycling collection drive, or licensed collectors. Yard waste is privately composted or unloaded only at a compost facility or through licensed collectors. Everything is handled under state, county and local laws, with separate methods for auto hulks, used appliances, tires, used oil and household hazardous wastes.

Only licensed haulers can serve the contract market. Section 50.04(A)(1) makes it unlawful to collect refuse, recyclables or yard waste without a city license and an account relationship with the owner, lessee or occupant. Licenses run on a calendar year and are renewable annually at the discretion of the City Council. Applicants must carry comprehensive general and automobile liability coverage of $300,000 for any single claim and $1,000,000 for multiple claims from any single occurrence.

Once under contract, § 50.04(B)(1)(g) entitles individual residential customers to weekly collection of garbage and other refuse, yard waste and recyclables, subject to the daily residential hauling zone restrictions, and § 50.04(B)(1)(i) requires haulers to offer a volume based fee option.